Space Race Relations..."Hidden Figures"

Hidden Figures (2016) B+

Rated PG

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell

Directed by Theodore Melfi

The Story:

In the race to beat the Russians into space, NASA was coming up short. Test after test was proving fruitless. Al Harrison (Costner) has ordered the first IBM computer, but it's taking forever to arrive and get installed. So he turns to the human computer section, and is sent Katherine Johnson (Henson) who can do computations better and faster than anyone else. Meanwhile Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer) can see the writing on the wall: with IBM on the way in, she and all the rest of the human computers are on their way out. Finally, Mary Jackson (Monae) is asked a simple question - why aren't you an engineer?

You guessed it, based on a true story.

Elevator pitch was probably The Right Stuff meets The Help.

Boiled down to the basic framework of the story, that's an apt description. The best part, those were both pretty good movies in their own right.

Hidden Figures doesn't let them down.

Johnson's story gets the most screen time, but the three stories interlock nicely together.

There is enough glimpse of life outside of NASA (as well as inside) that paint the Civil Rights portrayal as a whole without overshadowing what these ladies were all bringing collectively to the table in their own lives and to the history of NASA.

The cast is an amazing ensemble of talent...

however...

The casting of Jim Parsons struck me as odd.

I don't watch the show he is on, but I know enough about it and his character to know they annoy me.

So when he shows up here, it just felt more like stunt casting, let's give the comedy guy a serious role to show his range.

Meh.

However, you wanted to give me a character I didn't like, well, bravo, his casting sure helped.

:)

Aside from that though, inspiring stories, very well done by all involved.

Absolutely worth your time.

Final Grade: B+ / A- range.

Pleasant Surprise..."St. Vincent"

St. Vincent (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Bill Murray, Jaeden Lieberher, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O'Dowd, Terrence Howard,

Written and Directed by Theodore Melfi

The Story:

Oliver (Lieberher) and his mom (McCarthy) move in next to Vincent (Murray). He's obnoxious, crass, and just about anything else you can imagine not wanting in your neighbor. As Oliver tries to adjust to his new school and being bullied, fate brings these two together as Vincent ends up watching Oliver after school. A  bond begins to develop between the two as both of their lives change for the better.

Imagine a strange amalgamation of The Karate Kid or just about any other movie where a mentor takes a kid under his wing.

Then tip it over, shake it around, and you have St. Vincent.

Yet it works.

In a weird, strange sort of way.

Yet at the same time, Vincent learns just as much from Oliver and the two bond over the course of the movie.

It's both fun(ny) and dramatic. Sad and uplifting.

The things I take away from watching the film:

a) It's my favorite role that I've seen Melissa McCarthy in. Ever. She gets to use her sense of humor, but instead of dialed up to 11 like in everything else I've seen, she's got this one scaled back to about a 6, and it works. It works so well in fact, I wonder how and why she hasn't tried this before. A little of her brashness goes a long way.
b) It's Bill Murray's best role in ages as well. He's an a-hole with little redeeming qualities when we are first introduced to him. Then, like the proverbial onion, as Oliver and the audience gets a chance to get behind those layers and walls that Vincent has built over the years, the entire opinion of the man changes, even if the man himself doesn't. Totally at least.

Jaeden Lieberher also has the task of having the 2nd most amount of screen time and carrying his half of the storyline, sometimes with Murray, much of the time without, and the kid nails it. Not bad for his first movie role, and hopefully he enjoys a nice long career to come.

I would also be remiss to mention that the wonderful Chris O'Dowd kills it with his brief, but plot-needed character of the Priest who gives the assignment that culminates in the film's third act and delivers the emotional payoff the film has been building towards.

Good stuff if you missed it last year.

Final Grade: B+